Neogen Corporation has received a matrix extension for its Performance Tested Method Certification for its ANSR for Salmonella assay.
Lidl UK has launched a trial ‘Healthy Till’ in each of its 600 stores by replacing ‘treat’ items such as chocolate with products of a higher nutritional value. The initiative is being trialled for an initial ten week period. Should the customer response prove positive, it will be rolled out as a permanent fixture.
The decline in December, when the Index averaged 209 points, was led by drops in the international prices of major cereals and oils and fats. The Index’s previous low in 2012 was in June, at 200 points.
According to Euromonitor International, chocolate confectionery is set to grow by 13 per cent in current value terms in 2012. Although chocolate confectionery continued to perform strongly, per capita consumption was still far below the rates in developed markets. Consumption volume rates in coastal cities were much higher than in inland cities. Besides, seasonal consumption is a very significant factor in chocolate in China. Thus, gift packages were welcomed by consumers during some key holiday periods.
Wild Sweets By Dominique & Cindy Duby has received a 2013 Best Chocolatiers & Confectioners in America award from TasteTV and the International Chocolate Salon, an organization based in San Francisco, Calif. This follows Wild Sweets’ success in the fall of 2012, winning several gold medals as well as the best overall chocolate bar (cocoa bean-to-bar) competition.
Building on the success of the launch event last month in Chicago, the Retail Bakers of America (RBA) will host the second RBA Roadshow March 3 in Seattle. Designed to bring bakers, cake decorators, vendors, students and educators together, this one-day event will be held at Renton Technical College, Renton, Wash.
Jean-Francois Suteau was named the 2013 U.S. Chocolate Master at the final competition in Chicago, hosted by Cacao Barry®, Callebaut® and Carma®, the gourmet chocolate brands of Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and university cooperators have developed a biodegradable plastic that could be used in disposable food containers. The thermoplastic becomes soft when heated.